PM leaves for G8 summit

Asking the international community to isolate and condemn terrorists wherever they attack, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said he will impress upon G-8 leaders to adopt an approach of "zero tolerance" towards terrorism anywhere.

"The international community must isolate and condemn terrorists wherever they attack, whatever their cause and whichever country or group provides them sustenance and support," Singh said in a statement before leaving for the three-day G-8 Summit in St Petersburg.

"We will impress upon the leaders gathered at the G-8 Summit that the international community must adopt an approach of zero tolerance towards terrorism anywhere," he said.

Observing that terrorism was a scourge that continues to inflict different parts of the world, he said the "tragic human costs that they entail was brought forth once again by the recent attacks in Mumbai and Srinagar".

The international community has been expressing support to include India in G-8.

Russia supports bringing China, India and Brazil into the G-8 club if their applications are submitted by older members of the group, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Speaking at a late-night news conference after informal G-8 summit talks in St Petersburg on Saturday, Putin said that as the G-8's newest member Russia should not take the initiative to bring new members into the group.

But he said: "It is difficult to imagine effective solutions in the economic area without the participation of rapidly-developing economies like those of China and India," Putin said.

On the American continent, Brazil was "the most promising country," he said, adding that "if our partners support them we will support them."

The prime minister said during his stay in St Petersburg he looks forward to meeting with world leaders including US President George W Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

He would also be having meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Brazilian Presdident Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva.

Singh would also participate in the first bilateral meeting at the summit level with the Presidents of Russian and China.

"It is our expectation that the St Petersburg summit will also provide a useful opportunity for discussions between the industrialised countries and major emerging economies of the world on issues such as security, world trade and globalisation," he said.

Singh said he was visiting St Petersburg to participate in the outreach session of the G-8 summit, which is to be held on Monday.

He said India welcomed the initiative of Putin, the host of the G-8 summit, to extend an invitation to it and others including Brazil, China, Mexico, South Africa, Congo and Kazakhstan to participate in the outreach session.

The main issues on the agenda include global energy security, education and fight against infectious diseases - all issues of vital importance to the global community.